While the public has gradually returned to their life paceduring the post-pandemic era, what are the needs of the persons with disabilities who have been deprived of the rights of medical services, education, employment, and information acessment? The Eden Social Welfare Foundation has recently processed the “Survey of Independent Living for the Persons With Disabilities” among service users of sheltered workshops, small-scale sheltered workshops, vocational rehabilitation centers, and accommodation facilities to understand how the pandemic has impacted their life, job, and emotions. The survey shows that the persons with disabilities care most about being free to go outside and having a steady income, and they most want to say to the public: “please be nice to us!”

Photo:Eden Charity Ambassador Annie Chen, Sheltered Workshop Staff Xiaoyu, Eden CEO Yen-Bing Chung, Supervisor Jian-Xu, Lin, and Microfilm Director Ya-Feng, Lee (from left to right) call for support in “the Persons With Disabilities Service Plan”

A survey has shown that what impacts the persons with disabilities most is being afraid to go outside (42%). During the pandemic, they cannot go to the workshop, nor can they go home. This has affected 30% of the persons with disabilities in their employment and income status, which means they need more job opportunities. The second high response is the access to disease prevention resources and information. When mentioning about wishes for the future, more than 30% of the persons with disabilities indicate the ability to have a steady job and be financially independent to relieve the burden on their families. What they most want to learn is cooking, the second is working outside, and the third is learning how to take public transport. 

In conclusion, the persons with disabilities have no difference between others during the post-pandemic era and daily life. We both want stable job, a steady income as well as to learn more skills to live independently. Therefore, treating the persons with disabilities kindly with compassion, respect, and acceptance instead of a peculiar look.

During the press conference of the “Survey of Independent Living for the Persons With Disabilities”, Actress Annie Chen, who was invited to be the Charity Ambassador of the “the Persons With Disabilities Service Plan”, calls on the public to support the persons with disabilities to have the power to choose and to pursue their dreams. She also acted as a mother of a child with autism in the charity microfilm, “Choose Life”. Deeply moved by the movie, Annie Chen expresses her compassion for family caregivers who must have a lot of frustration, suffering, and helplessness that others would never understand. She hopes that everyone could put themselves in the shoes of the persons with disabilities and offer more job opportunities to them. Thus they will be able to learn new skills and live independently, which will not only allow them to fulfill their dreams but relieve the burden of their caregivers.

Photo:Eden Charity Ambassador Annie Chen kindly calls on the public to support the persons with disabilities to have the power to choose.

As reported by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, there are about 1,200,000 persons with disabilities in Taiwan. Among them, 45.1% are more than 65 years old. As the aging phenomenon of disabilities accelerates, double-aging families have increased, which adds to the pressure and burden on family caregivers. According to Eden CEO Yen-Bing Chung, it is urgent to train the persons with disabilities to live independently and help them learn professional skills to empower themselves in need, and help them discover their strengths. Ms. Chung emphasizes how Eden has been supporting the persons with disabilities for 40 years through case management, support double-aging families with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supported employment, small-scale sheltered workshops, daycare services, and community living services. In both life and work, Eden provides the persons with disabilities with diverse choices. We expect that this will help improve their quality of life and further allow family caregivers have a break. The future of service users could also rest assured.

Xiao Yu, a staff member of Eden XiaoYangMiao Sheltered Workshop, who cannot stand for a long period of time, carry heavy objects, or remember more than two job details at the same timedue to calf muscular dystrophy and intellectual disabilities. Since childhood, Xiao Yu could not run and jump like other children, and this has led to peer teasing and family problems. To reduce the financial burden of his mother, Xiao Yu has been continuously seeking job opportunities. However, he failed several times. Worried about Xiao Yu’s future, his mother gave close attention to the information about Eden’s newly implemented sheltered workshop in Tamsui. With the help of Eden and vocational rehabilitation services, Xiao Yu finally passed the pretest to receive a steady job at the sheltered workshop. Assisted by the adapted SOP and job redesign, Xiao Yu has now become the most effective staff member at the sheltered workshop who can even help out his colleagues. He has truly thrived in his workplace successfully.

Photo:Eden XiaoYangMiao Sheltered Workshop Staff Xiao Yu uses his strengths to thrive in his workplace.

Inclusive community and the independent living of the persons with disabilities are core values of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The “the Persons with Disabilities Service Plan” aligns with CRPD as it supports disabled people to use their strengths and potential to get employed and take care of themselves, which will allow them to go outside, fit into the community, and get the chance and the right to choose for the first time in their lives. Eden invites everyone to help the persons with disabilities to live independently and be themselves.

 For more information please search “Eden the Persons with Disabilities Service” or call Direct Line +886 800-025885

Photo:Eden Sheltered Workshop Staff Xiaoyu, Charity Ambassador Annie Chen, CEO Yen-Bing Chung, and Supervisor Jian-Xu, Lin (from left to right) during the ceremony of “Choose Life”.